My new smartwatch bricked itself during a 5k run in the park

I was about two miles into my usual loop at Riverside Park last Tuesday when my watch just... died. Not a low battery warning, just a blank screen. I'd only had the thing for three weeks. I finished the run feeling totally disconnected, no pace, no heart rate, nothing. Got home, tried every charger and button combo I could find for an hour. The support site just told me to do a hard reset, which did nothing. Ended up having to mail it back, and they said it'll be 10 business days before I even get a replacement. All those reviews talked about battery life and apps, but not one mentioned it could just give up mid-use. Has anyone else had a gadget completely fail on you like that, with no warning at all?

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3 Comments

troyknight6mo ago

My buddy's brand new wireless earbuds did the same thing. Just went silent halfway through his workout, never turned back on. Felt like he was running in a void.

5

elliot_roberts6mo ago

My old gym had a whole drawer of dead earbuds people just left behind. Makes you wonder what happens to them all.

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maxl936mo ago

Check the return policy for your credit card, some have extra protection for electronics that fail early. It's a backup plan if the company support drags their feet. Saved me a huge headache once when a tablet died after a month.

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